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Q&A with Gina Duci

Reviews on the road have called her “charming, funny and very, very talented” and have labeled her two solos in A CHORUS LINE the “vocal standouts” of the entire show, but Gina Duci, who plays the feisty Diana Morales, has not let any of that praise go to her head. Case in point: her wonderfully easygoing demeanor in the blog post below. In it, Gina talks about her approach to the role of Diana and some of the things that inspire her while she’s not busy being the playing her sassy Puerto Rican alter ego.

 

Name


Gina Duci

Role


Diana Morales

Describe your favorite song/scene moment in A Chorus Line.

I would have to say that my favorite moment is the alternative scene into “What I Did for Love.” Being able to look around at all my cast members’ faces and say my mini-monologue about "When I used to stand outside of that stage door..." is a moment that brings us all back home and where we came from and that we all used to stand outside of the stage door. Hell, I still do when I go see shows on Broadway! Haha. It's a moment that reminds me every night that I am so lucky to be able to do what I love and share the stage with a beautiful group of people.

The song "Nothing" is such a great example of a song written for a true singer / actor. Do you have any tricks for keeping that song and the story it tells fresh each night?

Actually, my trick is being me! Because that was me in acting class! I always thought those exercises were stupid and I didn't understand how standing like a tree for 20 minutes was going to teach me anything! Haha. I would question myself and wonder if I was cut out for this business because I could never commit myself to being a basketball! I was a person who had feelings, not an object. So, I just channel my feelings then in acting class and the teachers who taught them.

Not only does Diana have "Nothing" on her plate, she also pulls lead vocals on "What I Did For Love." What does that song mean to you personally and how do you keep up with the vocal demands of the show for your character?

The song means exactly what it says. I am so fortunate that I have been given the opportunity to do what I love to do. That if today it was taken away from me all I can do is look forward to tomorrow and what it may bring, but I will never forget what it is that I love and am thankful that I had the chance to experience and share it.

Vocally, I just try to rest after shows and make sure I warm up in the morning even before I talk. I take showers in the morning so I normally warm up in the shower. The voice is a muscle and needs to be warmed before it is used. I mean, a runner wouldn't run a marathon as soon as they rolled out of bed so I've learned that the voice needs to be treated the same.

What is the funniest thing that has happened to you on or offstage on the tour?


Oh dear, WELL!!! During the montage section while Judy is singing and the cast is in a clump upstage left, a certain someone (and they know who they are!!) stands in front of me, and let out the nastiest smelling fart I have ever smelt!!! I mean, it was like something died inside of them!! And I wanted to kill them! But, it did make me laugh.

Which past tour stop has been your favorite thus far and why?


Without question! It was Palm Desert. We had beautiful weather, beautiful hotel, beautiful theater, beautiful scenery, just beautiful!!

Name one item you can’t live without while on the road.

My iPhone, I’d be lost! It keeps me in touch with my boyfriend, family and friends, I play games on it and listen to Pandora. It has gotten me through some looooong bus rides.

If you could go back in time and catch one Broadway show what would it be and why?

I'd have to say Funny Girl. To see Barbra Streisand in that role would have been a true gift I'm sure! And Fanny Brice is my other dream role! (Diana was also my dream role.)

What is your favorite showtune and why?

Oooooo this is rough!  Well, honestly, "What I Did For Love" has always been a favorite! I sang it as my audition song when I was 10 till I was 15 probably! Haha.  Also, "People" from Funny Girl. It is such a beautiful song and has always been a favorite. Also, the song "Calm" from the show Ordinary Days by Adam Gwon. It is so funny and the most fun to sing/act.

What are the top five most listened to song on your iPod?


Oooooooooo that's hard too! Ok, this is musicals excluded!

1. India Arie - "Therapy"
2. Billy Joel - "Just The Way You Are"
3. Alicia Keys - "Doesn't Mean Anything"
4. Pink - "Glitter in the Air"
5. Michael Jackson - "The Way You Make Me Feel" (really any of his songs)

Do you have any pop culture guilty pleasures?


Not really, I don't have the time to watch much TV, but when I do, I will say that I enjoy an episode of "The Real Housewives" and also “Cake Boss”!!

If you had to pick just one, would you describe yourself as peripatetic, poetic, or chic?

Haha, well! I am NOT poetic! And as much as I would love to say I’m chic (and trust me I try, but you can't look too chic in sweatpants every day while on a bus no matter how hard you try.) Oh, hell! I'm chic! I'm making sweatpants the new chic! ;o)

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